Oven door seal



Jan. 18, 1944. .L F. HENNESSY ETAL OVEN DOOR SEAL Filed Nov. l2, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 18, 1944. J, F, HENNESSY- EN; 2,339,398.-

ovEN DOOR SEAL f Filed Nov. 12, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Janis, 1944 f UNITED STATES PATENT l"o1-*FICE N 2,339,398' ovEN Doon SEAL John F. Hennessy and John I. Thulander, Rockford, Ill., assignors to Geo. D. Roper Corporation, Rockford, lll., a corporation of Illinois Application November 12, 1940, Serial No. 365,262

7 Claims. (Cl. 20-69) This invention relates to the doors of ovens for domestic cooking ranges andis particularly concerned with improved sealing means therefor.

The principal object of our invention ls to provide oven door seals designed tohave wiping contact with the outer peripheries of the doors in the closing thereof, wherebyv to give assurance of more complete sealing than is possible where the sealing action relies for its eiectiveness upon the compression of sealingmeans between the inner faces of the doors and the stove front, such seals obviously necessitating 'fairly accurate alignment of all of the partsvinvolved, such as is not usually obtainable in the quantity production of ranges. I

Still another important; object consists in the provision of door seals for domestic cooking ranges, the application offwhich to the range involves a minimum of special construction of the range, the strips being applicable to certain existing ranges with little or no change in the construction of the doors or front structure.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhichp Fig. 1 is a front viewoi a gas range equipped with door seals provided in accordance with our invention; I

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, with an intermediate-portion of the section broken away to permitfshowing the parts on a larger scale; e

Fig. 3 is a vertical section' on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1, with an intermediate portion of the section broken away for the same reason as in Fig. 2;

' Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional. detailfof the middle vertical sealing strip taken on theV line 4 4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional detail vof one of the other vertical sealing strips taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1;' andI Fig. 6 is a similar sectional detail on the line 6 6 of- Fig. 1, showing the auxiliary attaching spring clips used in connection with these other sealing strips. Y

The same reference numerals are applied to y corresponding parts throughout the views.

Referring ilrst mainly to Fig. 1, the reference numeral 1 designates a domestic gas range-.al-

though, of course, the door seals oi' our invention are applicable to the oven doors of domestic cooking ranges generally. 8 is the cooking top `of the range, and 9 is the panel closing the front oi' the' burner box compartment I 0 under the cooking top. The gas burners for the cooking top are not shown, but havethe cocks thereof controlled by knobs II, ,and atgI2 are indicated the drip pans provided in the bottom of the burner box compartment. At I3 and I4 are indicated` the baking ovens, for which the doors I5 and I6 Y form closures, these doors being mount'edfon hinges I'I to swing downwardly to' substantially' horizontal open positions. At I8 and I9are in'- dicated closuresrfor the compartments yand 2| I4, respectively. Usuallyv one of these compartments has fa broiler drawer therein, in which event4 the closure I8 beneathjthe ovens I3 and or I9, as the ,case may be, forms the'hinged front on. said.A drawer.v The burners for theovensV I3 and I4 are provided underthe oven bottoms 22 in the upperportions of the compartments 20 and 2|. Where there were no seals for the oven `doors I5 yand I6,` the operating.' etllc'iency of the ovens'was not as high as desiredfdu to the heat losses aroundtthe doors, and, of course, this" heat lossr became aY more noteworthy `objection when lthe ovens were insulated, asherein illustrated. The seepage around the doors'alsohad a tendency to discolor'the range front, or'at any .rate necessitate' -more frequent cleaning than would l otherwise be necessary. In Y the application of seals to the oven doors I5 and I6, it also is desirable to provide. seals at least around the sides and tops ofthe closures I aand I9 to'cut down heat, losses and Vaccordingly vfurther 'increase the over-all eiliciency,` no seals being necessary alongV the bottoms ofthese closures,

inasmuch asthe bottoms of the Vcon'ipartrnents 20 and 2I are provided'with openingsto admit air to support combustion at the burners as well as to' mix with the gas delivered to the burners to form combustible mixtures. We have, therefore, provided three vertically extending sealing strips, 23,24, and 25, and three horizontally extending sealing strips, 26, 21, and 2,8,fto'seal all four edges ofeach of the oven` doors I5 andi 9 and onlyltheupper edges and lateral Tedges of the doors or closures I 3 and I9, whereby effectively to prevent seepage from the ovens I3 and I4 and at the same time greatly reduce heat-losses from the. compartments *20 and 2 I without interfering with the adequatesupply of air tothe oven burners. Strips 23 and-24 reach from the bottom `of the compartment 20 to the topof the oven I3, and the strips 24 and 25 bear the same relation to the compartment 2| ,and oven lI4 above"` the same.

. The strip extends the fullwidthfof the two ovens I3r and I4, VVwhereas the'strips V2'Irand n29 are individual to the two ovens and the compartments therebeneath, the strip 21 extending'bedefine theouter peripheries of the doors Y tion, as clearly appears in tween strips 23 and 24 and the strip 28 extending between strips 24 and 25. The. general arrangement-of the strips 23-28 forms the subject matter of a divisional application, 488,118, led May 24, 1943. All of these strips 23-28, as hereinafter more clearly appears, cooperate with the outer peripheries of the oven doors I and I5 and doors or closures I8 and I9, having wiping contact therewith for sealing purposes.

The oven doors I5 and I8 each comprise an outer porcelain enameled panel 29, the marginal flange 38 of which has a telescoping iit over the marginal flange 3I of, an inner porcelain enameled panel 32, the space between the panels 29 and 32 being filled with insulating material, as indicated at 33. The doors or closures I8 and I8 are similarly constructed. The flanges 38 I5, I8, I8, and I9,*and are flat and smooth and, therefore, adapted for -good wiping sealing contact with the sealing strips,2328. All of these strips have generally` C-shaped sections arranged to becompressed by kcontact with the edges of the doors, as they are y the portion 25a of .the strip 25 and that the portion-21a of the strip 21 is like the portionY 28a of the strip 28. v

The strips 28` and 25 are both substantially s-shaped in cross-section and carried on the rearwardly projecting vertical flange 34 of the porcelainenameled jacket ends 35, as clearly appears inFigs. 2, 5, and 6`. The C-shaped portion 38 of each of these strips 23 and 25 receives the flange 34 with a close t, 31 thereof being curledoutwardly'toV facilitate entering'the flange 34 and theflange being thereafter gripped-under the inherent spring tension in the strips, lit being'understood that thestrips 23 and 25 are of suitable spring metal. VTl'le tight fricy tion-fit of the strips23 and V25 on theiianges 34 may be relied upon Vto`prevent endwise'displacenientV of the strips from their assembled positions without other provisions. However wemay provide additional springA clips 38 of heavier gauge spring metal superimposed onthe portions 38 of the strips 23 and 25 lat opposite ends thereof, and, if desired, also .at intermediate.` points along the length of said strips, whereby to insure good anchorage of the strips without necessitating riveting or welding or other fastenings. The clips 38 will preferably have one end portion 31a curled outwardly to facilitate their application to the strips 23 and 25, as indicated in Fig. 6.`

The strip28 is likewiseS-shaped in cross-secportion 39 receivinggthe rearwardly bent flange V4I) of the panel 9 and likewise havinganoutwardly curled longitudinal edge 4I to facilitate entry of the Aiiange 48 when the strip 28 is being assembled on the4 panel 9. The strip 28, like the strips Serial No.y

closed, asindicated at 24a,.25a,f 26qand'28a, it being understood that the portion 23a of the strip23 is like would, of course,

in piace in tight contact with shaped portion 39 of -the strip 26 from above, the full length of the strip, whereby to prevent seepage of hot gases from either of the ovens I3 and I4 upwardly behind the strip 28 and into the burner box compartment I8. In the past where no oven door seals were provided and no sealing means corresponding with the packing strip 45, the hot gases escaping from the oven into the burner box compartment and out through the openings 48, through which the front ends of the drip pans I2 project, caused objectionable heating of the handles 41 on these drip pans and also objectionable discoloration of the exposed front ends of these pans. The sealing of the doors only increase the flow of the f hot gases out through the openings 46 were it not the longitudinalA edges chored by the screws Fig. 3its C-shaped 23 and 25,'y is Vformed from springmetaland the portion 3,9 has suiilcient spring tension vto grip the flange 40, but we, may provide additional vspring clips 38 superimposed on the ends of the strip 28, similarly as in the case of the strips 23v and 25, to insure good anchorage of thestripV 28, Yand theseA additional clips may be provided, only atthe ends if desired Aor alsofat one or more intermediate points along the length of the strip 26. A sheet metal strip 42Vsecured, as indicated at43, to the front end kof the hollow insulated Voven top wall 44 4serves to secure a stripof asbestos, or other fire-proof packing material, 45

'ject matter of another rial No. 488,119, led May adapted to'be secured in vfor the provision of the packing strip 45.

The strips 24, 21, and 28, which forms the subdivisional application, Se-

24, 1943, are all place in a similar manner, namely, by means of sheet metal strips 48 of L-shaped cross-section, each of the strips 24, 21, and v28 -being of generally P-shaped crosssection, the loop'of the letter P being C-shaped, as indicated at 24a and 28a in Figs. 2,3, and 4, to receive the one leg 48a of the strips 48, while the leg of the letter P, indicated at 24h and 28h, is engaged by the other leg 48h of the L-shaped strips 48 for anchorage of the ystrips 24, 21, 'and 28 to theY front of the range. Thus the L-shaped strip 48 cooperating'with' the sealing strip 24 is fastened by screws 49 tothe vertical parting rail 50 forming a portion of the front frame of the range, a front corner rail 5I of which also appears in Fig. 2. The strip 48 is slotted, as indicated at 52, to facilitate entry under the heads of the screws`49. The strip 24 is held against lateral displacement with respect to the strip 48 by means of the beaded edge 53 which engages the edge of the leg 48h of the strip 48. The leg 48h is widened only at the points where it is an- 49, and at those points the bead 53 is cut away to permit extension of said portions beyond the bead. However, the strips 48 provided in connection with the sealing strips 21 and 28v can be of uniform width throughout the length thereof, there being no need for the provisionoi any bead 43 on the sealing strips 21 and 28. Screws 54 are shown fastening the strips 48 to the horizontal parting rails 55 that also form parts of the front frame of the range along with'the rail`50 and corner posts 5I. The strips 21 and 28 and their fastening strips 48 preferably have registering openings 58 provided therein, as' indicated in Fig. 3, lin register with the lower portions ofthe horizontal channels 51 provided in the parting rails 55, whereby to permit drainage of condensation that is apt to collect behind the strips 21 and 28, especially in ythe `preheating of the ovens. Where no provision is made for the drainage of condensation, there is likelihood of the parts rusting. Where the oven doors were not provided with seals, the condensation collecting on the inner side of the doors 'trickled down and collected along the bottom `the porcelain enameled tion opening forwardly edge of said closure and pression in the closing of the doors eiectively seal the ovens against the objectionable seepage and heat losses around the doors, thus protecting front panels against disthe necessity for so much attention in the wayof cleaning to keep the same presentable. It is also clear that the application of the sealing strim 23-28 in the manner herein disclosed requires little or no change in the construction of the range otherwise. The effectiveness of the sealing action is furthermore not dependent upon close accuracy in the alignment of the various parts going to make up the range front, there being easily enough yield in the resilient compressible and expansible sealing strips 23-28 to compensate for whatever irregularities may occur in the spacing of parts involved in the sealing action.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of the objects and advantages of our invention. The appended claims have been drawn with a view to covering all legitimate modifications and adaptations.

We claim:

1. In a seal structure coloration and avoiding surrounding frame, a spring metal sealing strip of generally S-shaped cross-section providing one longitudinal portion oi' generally C-shaped section vopening forwardly relative to the frame, the frame having a substantially vertical inturned' flange for entry in and support of the C-shaped portion of said strip thereon, the remaining longitudinal portion of said strip being of C-shaped section opening rearwardly toward the frame and disposed between said inturned flange and the edge of said closure and being arranged to be compressed by engagement of the vertical edge portion of the closure on the adjacent side thereof, and one or more spring vclips of generally c-shaped form for clamping the sealing strip on said inturned flange, said clips being superimposed on the first mentioned lon--I gitudinal portion of the strip to compress the same into tight frictional engagement with the flange.

2. In a seal structure to minimize air flow between the edges o1' a swinging closure and its surroundingl frame, a spring metal sealing strip oi' generally 3-shaped cross-section providing one longitudinal portion of generally C-shaped secrelative to the frame, the frame having a substantially horizontal inturned nan-ge for entry in and support of the C-shaped portion of said strip thereon, the remaining longitudinal portion of said strip being ofc-shaped section opening rearwardly toward the frame and disposed between said inturned flange and the being arranged to be compressed by engagement of the horizontal edge portion of the closure on the adjacent side thereof, and one or more spring clips of generally C- shaped form for clamping the sealing strip on said inturned ange, said clips being superimposed on the first mentioned longitudinal portion of the strip to compress the same into tight frictional engagement with the ange.

to minimizeair flow between the edges o1' a swinging closure and its 'turned flange,

3. The combination of a frame, a hinged closure therefor, a panel forming a xed closure for said frame having an inturned -ange on the lower edge thereof in closely spaced substantially parallel relation to the upper edgeof said hinged closure, a spring metal sealing strip mounted on said flange and having a of the inturned ange panel thereabove with the upper C-shaped portion of the strip receiving the inturned ilange for support of the strip thereon, said strip having the lower C-shaped portion compressed between the ange and the upper edge of the hinged closure by slidable engagement with the upper edge of said closure. and sealing means carried on the frame and engaging the top of the sealing strip from above the inturned flange aforesaid.

5. A structure as set forth in claim 4, including one or more spring clips ofrgenerally C-shaped form for clamping the sealing strip on said insaid clips being superimposed on the upper C-shaped portion oi the strip to compress the same into tight frictional engagement with the ange.

6. A metallic sealing strip construction for application to nan-ged metal frame members and the like, comprising a spring metal sealing strip of generally S-shaped cross-section providing one longitudinal tion adapted ilange on the for frictional engagement with a frame, and another longitudinal y portion of C-shaped section for compression as a seal portion connected with the iirstmentioned Y longitudinal portion,

and one or more spring clips of generally C-shaped form for clamping the flrst mentioned longitudinal portion of the strip on the iiange, said clips being superimposed on said longitudinal por-tion to compress the same into tight 4frictional engagement with the'ange.

7. A seal structure adapted for use between a closure member and a frame, said frame including a flange in closely spaced substantially parallel relation to the edge of the closure member, said seal structure comprising a spring metal sealing strip of generally -S-shaped section'having one C-shaped portion thereof receiving the ange for support of the strip thereon, the other C-shaped portion of thestrlp being arranged for insertion between the ange and the edge of the closure, and other sealing means on the frame on the far side of the ange in relation to the closure member engaging the flrst mentioned C- shaped portion of the strip.

JOHN' F. JOHN' I. THULANDER.

resilient edge portion Y' Y slidablyv engaging the upper edge of said hinged means on the framev portion of generally C-shaped sec, i 

